Journey to the Truth
by Prince Arjuna
Summary: A young man will set a journey in searching for the most sacred relic on the face of Earth; the 'Truth'. What will he face in the middle of his journey? Only God knows. CURRENTLY ON HIATUS
1. Pilgrimage

~journey to the truth~

~albireo imma~

~i never own persona 4 and journey to the west~

01: Pilgrimage

Thousands of years ago, a young man had set on a journey in searching for the most sacred relic which could be found on the face of the mortal world, a relic that would eventually vanquish the deceit and falseness upon earth and could bring upon happiness and eternal enlightenment upon humanity. The story of the young man's journey was passed through generations and the young man had become a legend. After that, his journey was called as a pilgrimage, a destined journey which would decide the fate of the world and the mankind.

And soon, thousands of years after that young man's pilgrimage, destiny had set another journey for another young man, who would set up for another pilgrimage, in searching for the relic.

The relic was known as the 'Truth'.

~truth~

The sound of ringing bell could be heard resonating within the air as the voice of worshippers, singing the hymn of their faith, echoing among the sound of ringing bell, creating some kind of harmony between those two sounds. The White Temple was known as a central gathering place for the worshippers and the warrior monks, strengthening their faith upon a legendary relic and the man who established such kind of religion.

The country was strengthened by the religion, either by gentle manner or by force. So, The White Temple had established an order which was maintaining the country, and the order was known as The Order of Warrior Monks. The order consisted of talented warriors, who were also the firm believers of the religion. They were trained since they were toddlers, physically and spiritually. They were taught to be such formidable combatants as well as faithful worshippers.

Besides of becoming an order to maintain the peace of the country, there was another elusive reason for its establishment, a reason which would change the world, eternally.

~truth~

A warrior monk was thrown behind to the wall by a silver-haired monk, who was wielding a katana. The silverette shrugged as he looked at the older monk whimpered as he slid from the wall to the floor. He closed his silver eyes as another warrior monk, armed with a long spear, attacking him from behind.

"A sudden attack from behind?" the silverette muttered. "Hmph! How disgraceful..."

He spun behind, parrying the spear with his katana, much to the attacker's surprise. The silverette took some steps behind before he pushed his weapon forward, making his attacker stumbled behind. The silver-haired monk took the chance to deliver a hard kick towards the spear-armed monk, sending him behind.

"Arghh!!" the bald monk grunted as his back touched the floor. The silver-haired monk slowly walked towards his defeated opponent before he pointed his katana towards the monk's face. The defeated monk could only watch the blade drawn closer towards his face expectantly.

Then, the silver-haired monk smiled. "Our Lord won't ever forgive me if I spill such unnecessary blood..." he lifted the sword, sheathed it back into its scabbard. Then, he offered the lying monk a hand. "Master Kyoshu, please get up..."

The bald monk grinned as he took the young silverette's hand. "You're tough, Souji-kun..."

"Yeah!!" then, a black-haired monk who was defeated by Souji earlier spoke. "Well, that's much of our expectation though. Souji-kun is the strongest young warrior monk among us..."

Souji smiled as he scratched the back of his head. "Don't give me such unnecessary flattery..." he spoke humbly. "I am nothing compared to our masters..."

"Don't say that..." Kyoshu patted Souji's back. "With your ability, we believe that you'll reach their level in short time. Then, you'll become the youngest monk master in history..."

"That's preposterous..." Souji shook his head. "There's no way I could reach the level of our masters..."

Another young black-haired monk sighed. "Well... there's no need for you to be so humble, Souji-kun. Remember, you've caught the attention of our old master Kagimura by your strength and charisma. I'm sure you'll be promoted as the member of monk's council..."

"I doubt it..." Souji sighed. "I should get some fresh air outside. See you later..." he began to walk out from the training chamber before he heard a grumpy voice.

"Seta Souji..."

Souji stopped before he turned at a door, only to see an old man in monk's attire. The old man was bald and his skin wrinkled. Scars could be seen across his face. Two sheathed katanas could be seen hanging on his waist. "Master Kagimura..." he walked towards the master before he knelt humbly to the old man. "What is your intention for seeing me today?"

"Please get up, son..." the old man crouched, placing his hands on Souji's shoulders. "Please follow me. Lord Uzume wants to see you..."

Souji's eyes widened as he heard the name. Lord Uzume, or appropriately Ameno Uzume was a supreme member of the council, and was a legendary member of the order. Lord Uzume was revered as a god due to the involvement of the supreme member in the legendary pilgrimage centuries ago. "Lord... Uzume?"

"Lord Uzume doesn't like waiting..." Kagimura turned as he spoke before he walked towards a direction. "Follow me..."

Souji nodded as he stood up and followed Kagimura. They walked through a series of tunnels and pathways before they arrived in front of a massive door. Only the high-ranked warrior monks were allowed to meet face-to-face with Lord Uzume, and Souji's meeting with the mentioned person was a surprising one.

"Souji..." Kagimura looked behind. "It is wise for you to see Lord Uzume by yourself..." the old warrior monk stepped aside as he gave Souji a way. Souji nodded as he stepped forwards, placing his hands on the door before pushing it to open the door. The squeaking sound of the opened door could be heard before some kind of majestic white light came out from behind the door, blinding Souji.

"Get in..." Kagimura ordered. "Lord Uzume wants to have a private discussion with you..."

Souji who was recovered from the blinding light nodded before he stepped into the chamber. As he stepped in, the door was closed by itself, much to his surprise. Then, he decided to see Lord Uzume.

"I am expecting you, Seta Souji..."

Instead of hearing an old man's voice, Souji heard a high-pitched voice of a little girl before he looked in front of him, only to see a white-haired girl, sitting on a well-decorated throne. The little girl seemed delicate and frail, but she flashed the silver-haired warrior monk a gentle smile.

"Are you... Lord Uzume?" Souji asked, couldn't believe that the legendary member of the order, a companion of the founder of their religion, was a little girl around the age of ten.

The girl giggled before she stood up. "Of course I am, teehee!" she walked slowly towards Souji.

"Wha..." hastily, Souji knelt to the approaching girl as he spoke apologetically. "I-I'm sorry for my rudeness! Wait! I mean... forgive me for my insolence..."

The girl patted Souji's silver head. "Please don't mention it, Souji-kun..." then, she turned back to her throne. "That's a typical reaction of some people while seeing me for the first time, so there's no need for me to get upset..." she rested herself on her throne as she put her head on her hand casually.

"Well..." Souji looked at the girl. "For what purpose do you summon me, Lord Uzume?"

"Please drop the formality, Souji-kun..." the girl said. "Please call me Uzume. It would be better if you add '-chan' after my name..."

"T-That's..." Souji lowered his gaze. "Uzume-san... what's the reason for you to see me?"

"Well..." Uzume mused. "Souji-kun..." she stood up as she walked towards the silver-haired monk, walking around him playfully. "We have sensed something particular will happen on your future, and someday, you will take an important responsibility upon humanity..." then, she stopped in front of Souji. "I assume that you're aware of the term 'pilgrimage', right?"

"I've grown up with that term..." Souji nodded.

"In that case, good..." Uzume mused. "The elders have mentioned to me that you are the greatest young warrior monk among all of you. You possess such incredible strength and unquestionable charisma and leadership..." her crimson eyes were focused on Souji. "So, we agreed to give you a mission..."

"Mission?" Souji frowned.

"Yes..." Uzume nodded. "This is a mission that will decide the fate of the mankind. You will have to set a journey in searching for a lost relic which was sought by the Founder thousands years ago. You will set a pilgrimage, a same one just like his..." she smiled. "You will have to search for it, the 'Truth'..."

"Truth?"

"Soon, you will see it..." Uzume turned back to her throne. "For now on, you must travel to Inaba, a place where you may be able to find the relic..."

"I..." then, Souji knelt. "I accept the mission. I won't fail you..."

"I know..." Uzume nodded. "That's the reason for me to select you, Souji-kun..."

~truth~

Souji came out from Uzume's chamber as Kagimura waited for him outside. The silver-haired monk looked at his old master's face.

"So?" Kagimura asked.

"I never thought that Lord Uzume is that small..." Souji commented.

"Well, I can't blame her or you for that..." Kagimura shrugged as he chuckled. "I've got the same at the first time I met her..."

Souji chuckled as his master said that. Even though Kagimura seemed to be pretty stern, he was quite a good-natured man and a good companion. Souji sighed. He couldn't ask more other than having a good teacher like Kagimura.

"So, you'll go to Inaba, right?" Kagimura asked. "Well... you have an uncle there. If I'm not wrong, his name is Dojima Ryotaro, a warrior monk, an officer of a local temple and a law enforcer of Inaba..." he looked at his student. "You may live with him during your stay in Inaba..."

"I see..." Souji mused.

"And..." Kagimura smiled. "I have a present for you. Follow me..." he walked towards a direction and Souji followed him. Again, they walked through a series of tunnels and pathways before they arrived in front of a stable.

"Since Inaba is quite far from here, you need at least a companion..." Kagimura smirked as he entered the stable before he came out with a muscular-looking black horse. "This is my best friend, Izanagi. You may have him..."

"Best friend?" Souji looked at Izanagi. The black horse looked at Souji with his black shiny eyes. A cross stripe could be seen on Izanagi's back as some white small stripes could be seen under Izanagi's eyes. Izanagi let out a hoarse sound before he lowered his head towards Souji.

"Well... he thinks that it's okay to be your friend..." Kagimura stated. "Souji, please take him as my present to you..."

Souji smiled.

"I will..." he nodded.

~truth~

On the next day, after dawn, Souji with the black horse, Izanagi began a fateful journey of pilgrimage in searching for the 'Truth'. They left the White Temple after the bells rang, signifying their departure.

Souji looked at the sky, seeing the white clouds hovering above him. He smiled before he looked at Izanagi as he patted his back.

"Today's weather seems good, Izanagi..." Souji spoke. "Our Lord is with us..."

Izanagi nodded, seemingly understood what Souji was saying. Thus, they continued their journey, totally unaware of the ordeals which were waiting for them at their destination.

To Be Continued

Phew!! At last, the first chapter is completed. Well, it's shorter than I've imagined. It is just a prologue, so please don't mind about the OCs. About Na Zha, even though he doesn't appear in the Journey to the West, he was once mentioned in the story as one of the deities who fought Son Goku/ Sun Wukong and helped to seal him in the large boulder. So, I hope you like it and the last but not least, read and review.

Albireo Imma


	2. Monkey King

~journey to the truth~

~albireo imma~

~i never own persona 4 and journey to the west~

02: Monkey King

The path was clear and the weather seemed nice. Souji let out a sigh of relief as he looked at the sky while riding his animal companion, Izanagi the black horse. The horse moved in relatively slow pace, seemingly taking its time reaching their destination. The silver-haired warrior monk occasionally patted the horse's head gently, giving encouragement to it. As a warrior monk, he was taught to cherish life, no matter in what form.

Monks were viewed as some kind of religious figures in the country and they were revered as holy men, upholding the messages of gods. They were viewed as knights, preachers, guardians and saints and they should be respected. While they were respected by society, monks were restricted by some ancient laws. They were not allowed to commit sins or heresy and their lives were bounded by laws and orders. The most important thing for being a monk was their oath of chastity. Most monks, especially those from the White Temple and the Order of Warrior Monks, were not allowed to have any kind of intimate relationship with women.

Souji let out a sigh again. He was taught to respect both genders, men and women, and viewed both of them equally. Because of the oath of chastity, he never had any kind of romantic relationships with people in opposite gender. While he had sworn off marriage and sex, monks for other local temples were different. Most of them were volunteers and they were not taught with the knowledge of their holy religion. They were allowed to marry and have relationships with women intimately, as long they were still upholding the laws.

"Oh, that's a town…" Souji said as he saw the entrance of a town. He stopped in front of the entrance and read the name written on the front gate aloud. "Oosaru Town… big monkey…" Souji looked around and found nothing significant about the town's name. "There's no monkey here and yet the name of the town based on monkey…"

Izanagi let out a hoarse sound. Souji jumped down from the horse and stroke its black, thick mane. "Oh, are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?" he asked. Izanagi replied with a slight nod. "Oh, let's get something to eat, shall we?" he said before he brought the horse into the town.

The streets of Oosaru Town were busy, unlike the atmosphere in peaceful White Temple. Traders and civilians were busy with their own business while some mercenaries were walking around, carrying their own weapons while searching for some new jobs to be done. Some street whores were searching for their new clients, promising to give them a good service. While Souji walked along the street, most eyes were looking at him. With Juzu beads around his neck, his monk robe on his gray uniform and a signature of monk with his katana dangling on his waist, the people seemed to be surprised to see a religious figure in the town.

"Ooh, what a handsome-looking monk are you…" suddenly a sweet, seductive voice of a woman was heard. Souji turned around and saw a woman clad in rather provocative attire, a kimono that had such low neckline, exposing her own impressive cleavage. "You sure are tired, aren't you? Why don't you stay inside for a while? I'm sure you'll be happy to have some enough rest, teehee…" the seductress chuckled as she went towards Souji, her hand brushing Souji's silver hair. As a monk, Souji wasn't impressed.

"Umm… Miss, I'm sorry but I'm not allowed to do just that…" Souji said to the seductress.

The woman pouted. "Aww… you're not fun at all. Why all monks are like this? You should have some fun once in a while," she said playfully, her hand was touching Souji's broad chest. "Ooh, such nice body you have…"

"Excuse me…" Souji gently pushed the woman's hand. "Please, I have no time to play with you, Miss. You see, I'm new here and I need someone to guide me. If you're willing to help me, I'll surely appreciate it…"

"Hmm, so you're lost, right? Oho, how cute are you…" the seductress chuckled again before she playfully poked Souji's cheek. "Well, to tell you the truth, I am not allowed to guide people because I have to stay here for giving 'comfort' to anyone who needs it, but maybe I can tell you about what you should do in this town."

"That will be fine, thank you…" Souji nodded.

"Okay, please listen to me extra carefully with your cute ears, yeah? You see, this town, Oosaru Town is a town for those who seek for money and wealth. Anyone who wishes to be rich and wealthy can go here, sell something and get money. Prostitution is quite at large in this town too, but unlike me, those poor girls are forced to do that. Let's leave it at that…" the seductress said. "There are some inns around here and you may stay there. Most of them are quite cheap for a night…" she explained.

"So, is there a temple around here?" Souji asked.

The woman chuckled. "Oh my, you're quite religious, young monk. Well, fifty years ago, I think there was one, but it was destroyed. My mother told me that…" she glanced at a quite large boulder that could be seen visibly from the place she was standing on. Souji assumed that the boulder was about two miles away from them.

"What is that?" Souji asked, pointing at the boulder.

"It's Monkey Stone…" the seductress said. "Fifty years ago, my mother told me that this town was ravaged by a large, monstrous monkey that was called Monkey King. It destroyed everything in its path and no one could stop it. The temple was destroyed as well. And then, all monks worked together to subdue it and finally sealed it inside the boulder, with their lives as a price…" she said rather painfully. Then she tried to smile. "I think that's why this town got its name…"

"I see…" Souji mused. "Well then, if you excuse me, I need to take my leave. Farewell, Miss…" he said.

"Oh, if you have time, why don't you come to me? I'm sure there's more that we can talk about later, teehee…" the seductress giggled. Souji sighed before he left the seductress.

~truth~

Souji arrived at an inn not far away from the Monkey Stone boulder. He observed the interior of the inn and nodded as nothing suspicious around there. He asked for a cup for a green tea for a drink. His horse, Izanagi was put outside of the inn.

While he was enjoying his tea, he heard a conversation between some thug-looking men. He glanced at them as he focused his hearing to their conversation.

"…this diadem… his strength will be ours…" one of them said.

"Haha… those monks… weak…" other one said.

"After this… and that… Monkey King…" the third one said. Souji couldn't clearly hear their conversation but he knew that they were planning on something about Monkey King. Then he saw something in the hands of one of them. It was some kind of circlet or diadem which was bronze in color.

Souji gasped. He recognized the diadem. It was one of the temple's holy regalia, The Diadem of Submission. The regalia usually worn by criminals and the criminals would be monitored by monks. With some kind of mantra, the diadem could paralyze its wearer, suitable for subduing part. Plus, the wearer couldn't remove the diadem by himself and the diadem could only be removed by the monk's permission. The one who could only control the wearer was the one who put the diadem on the head of the wearer.

The silver-haired monk put the cup of tea on the table. The diadem usually was one of the sacred treasures of the temple and commoners weren't allowed to put their hands on it. Souji was certain that those people were planning on using the diadem for their own wicked benefit. As a monk, Souji wouldn't allow such thing to happen. But, before he could do anything, those people went out from the inn.

"I have to hurry…" Souji muttered before he went out from the inn, pursuing the wicked people from accomplishing their evil goal.

~truth~

At the boulder of Monkey Stone, those people were ripping the paper charms on the bounder. They seemed pretty desperate in realizing their goal which was to release the Monkey King from its slumber.

"Hold it right there," Souji said as he appeared behind them. The people, three of them halted and turned around to see the young silver-haired monk. Souji unsheathed his katana. Izanagi was beside him. "You three better stop doing this. It is clear that three of you intend to release the horror from the large stone. Leave the diadem behind and go away. If you do just that, I won't have to hurt you," Souji said, pointing his weapon to the thugs.

"Huh, you're just a kid! Stop being so big to yourself!" one of the thugs yelled. His face was hairy and very ape-looking. "No one will stop us!" he said confidently.

"Look, kid… we don't like hurting children. Why don't you scram away?" another one with burly appearance said as he grinned.

"Don't let me repeat myself…" Souji said in sterner tone. His silver eyes glinted for some unknown reasons and three of them backed off. "I hate hurting people. If I hurt people, it's going to be really hurt that usual…" he said threateningly.

"Screw that, you're goin' down!" the third one snarled before he rushed towards the monk with his large axe in his right hand. The other two continued to rip the remaining paper charms on the boulder. Souji sighed before he assumed a battle stance. The man that launched himself towards Souji was muscular and dark-skinned. The muscular man brought his axe down to Souji as Souji brought his katana up, parrying the powerful attack with it. As both weapons collided to each other, Souji deflected the axe before he took several steps aback.

The muscular man continued his assault and Souji did nothing other than dodging and evading the attacks. He didn't want to risk having his sword broken because the powerful blow from the axe could shatter a metal weapon if it's done repeatedly. Due to his lean and smaller body, Souji could easily evade the attacks while he planned for counterattack. He needed to stop the man from attacking him so he swung his sword.

The axe was separated from its wooden handle, much to the muscular man's surprise. Souji took his chance to whack the hilt of his katana on the man's face, knocking him unconscious. As he turned to the remaining two, he saw that they were already ripping the last piece of the paper charm.

"May the truth shine its light to me," Souji muttered before he dashed towards the boulder. Suddenly the boulder released some kind of blinding ray, stunning Souji and the two men. Souji promptly stopped and defended himself. The cracking sound was heard and after the light faded, he slowly opened his eyes and saw a brown-haired young man clad in red and white attire, standing on top of the boulder. His eyes were unearthly yellow, a sign of demonic presence within the man. The man grinned, baring a pair of little fangs before he jumped down from the boulder, landing near the two men.

"He's… he's the Monkey King!" one of the thugs exclaimed. He was holding the diadem in his hand.

The man, the newly-released Monkey King cracked his neck before he observed his surrounding before he checked his body. Then he looked on his palms. While the Monkey King was busy looking on himself, one of the thugs approached him with the diadem ready.

"You're gonna serve us!" the thug shouted, intending to put the diadem on top of the Monkey King's head. As the thug went nearer, suddenly the Monkey King vanished before he reappeared behind him.

"I'm gonna serve you?' the Monkey King asked, his voice echoed in quite demonic fashion. "I am Monkey King, and I serve no one!" he said before he made a hand gesture, summoning a gust of wind, blowing those two away from him. Souji defended himself, avoiding being blown away by the strong gust of wind.

"Get him!" the thug charged but the demon played with them around. He vanished and reappeared to tire them out. Souji preferred watching them from a safe distance. It would be unwise to get into a battle with a demon. "Grr… damn monkey! You're gonna-!" before the thug could do anything, the Monkey King appeared behind him, taking off his pants.

"Goodbye, losers!" the Monkey King summoned another gust of wind, blowing both thugs away to the sky and vanished as a blinking star. "Huh, that was refreshing, after being stuck inside the rock for a long time, huh?" then he looked at Souji. "Oh, your clothes, you're a monk, eh?" he asked in rather civilized, humanlike voice. Souji observed the demon's face. It had no difference to a human's face except his two little fangs and his yellow eyes, which then changed into deep hazel.

"Yes, I am a monk. So, you are the Monkey King, right?" Souji asked. He took some steps aback, seemingly alerted by the demonic vibe the Monkey King released. He would fight him if he needed to. "If you are, you will have to fight me if you want to destroy the town like what you did before…"

The Monkey King laughed before he said, "Of course I am the Monkey King! But I never intended to destroy a town while I'm not in a mood. Just relax, man. I prefer sleeping over rampaging like a wild typical demon…" he said while grinning.

Souji frowned before he sighed. He put his katana back into its sheath. Then the Monkey King inspected him, seemingly studying his face while sniffing something in air. Then he said, "Well, you got some fancy scent, man. It smells familiar…"

"What do you mean by fancy scent?" Souji asked.

"You seem to be quite an interesting fellow. Say, what's your name, monk?" the Monkey King asked.

"Seta Souji…" Souji said. "And you?"

The Monkey King was thinking for a while before he said, "I've many names, you gotta expect that for many years of living. But I'll prefer this one. How about Yosuke?" he grinned.

"Yosuke…" Souji mused.

"And I suggest you to use that thing on me…" the Monkey King, Yosuke pointed his finger to the diadem that was on the ground. "You know, I'm a demon and if I have to stay around you, you gotta have some precautions…"

"Hmm…" Souji picked the diadem before he went to Yosuke. "If you wear this circlet, you will be put under my whim. Do you really prefer that way?" he asked.

"I know you need me, Souji…" Yosuke said. "Your scent told me that…"

Souji's eyes widened. He recalled his mission of pilgrimage and he needed someone who could help him in his way to his destination. Having a demon as an envoy could be quite weird for a religious monk like him but it seemed to be a good way to remain safe. "Very well, Yosuke. In exchange, you won't be allowed to commit murders and violence. You shall suffer a great consequence by doing that. As long as you wear this diadem, you are my servant…"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…" Yosuke said lazily. "It's not like I'm not used to live that way…" he shrugged.

Souji frowned before he nodded. "Well then, there you are…" he placed the diadem on Yosuke's head. Then the diadem seemed to melt on Yosuke's head before it formed into a headband.

"Whoa, nice one…" Yosuke commented, touching the new accessory.

"And you'll need a new name too, or rather a new addition of your name. You are no longer a Monkey King, the destroyer of Oosaru Town. You are now my follower, my discipline, my pupil, my friend. While you are the one who gave this town an unforgettable nightmare, you granted it a new name. Thanks to you, this town had grown into a valley of wealth, a place where happiness grows and here, flowers symbolize happiness…" Souji went to a direction before he bent down, picking up a wild flower. "This is a place where flowers grow healthily and it shall be your name, Hanamura Yosuke…"

To Be Continued

Yes! After such a long hiatus, this story is finally updated. In this chapter, Souji meets Yosuke who is essentially takes the role of Son Goku (from Journey to the West, not Dragon Ball) as the Monkey King. I make Souji gives him a new name (or the new addition of the name) to make it looks interesting. About Souji having an oath of chastity, don't worry. It won't be a Persona fanfic without romance. I'll make a conflict out of it. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter and please review.

Albireo Imma


	3. Dragon Warrior

~journey to the truth~

~albireo imma~

~i never own persona 4 and journey to the west~

03: Dragon Warrior

On top of Mount Yasogami, the heavenly Dragon Palace was shimmering under the ray of sun. Some serpentine-looking beasts, the mystical dragons were floating around the palace. They were the holy guardians of the sacred place, Dragon Palace. The palace was also known for its magical knights, the ever-mysterious Dragon Warriors.

A woman clad in sleeveless white silk dress was tending her little garden behind the palace. She had such long brown hair and it was decorated with many hairpieces. One of her exposed shoulders bore the mark of dragon, signifying her status as one of Dragon Princess. She was known among her people as Toyohime, the eldest daughter of Ryuuzaku Clan. While she was watering her flowers, one of the guardian dragons flew towards her, circling around her before it lowered its head. Toyohime giggled before she placed her hand on the dragon's head.

"Dora-chan, you seem reckless, aren't you?" Toyohime spoke to the reptile. The dragon let out a hoarse snort. The princess giggled.

"Princess," suddenly a guard clad in heavy armor came out from the palace. "His Highness Dragon Emperor wishes to see you…" he said.

"Oh…" Toyohime said before she gave a last gentle stroke on the dragon's face before the dragon flew away. "Very well, I will be on my way, guard…" she said. The guard nodded. Toyohime made her way into the palace as the guard escorted her.

The interior of the palace was filled with many dragon statues. As one of the heiress of the Ryuuzaku Clan, Toyohime grew up with those things. She had lived for fifty years with the dragons and the palace. Despite had lived for many years, fifty years to be exact; she had no sign of aging because she looked like a teenager. It was one of Ryuuzaku's mythical traits that allowed them to live longer than ordinary humans.

"Your daughter is here, father…" Toyohime said while lowering her head as she arrived at the throne room of her father, the Dragon Emperor.

"My daughter Toyohime…" Dragon Emperor spoke in quite deep voice. "The spirits of our ancestors seem restless. The dragons are agitated by the demonic presence in the air. One of the force of chaos has been released and currently in its destructive wake. The Monkey King has escaped…"

"Oh, it's the demon…" Toyohime spoke. "There's no wonder the dragons look depressed. The scent of that monkey has tainted the fresh air they breathe…" she said, brushing off her hair from her forehead. "If that's the case, what is your intention for summoning me here, father?"

"This is the time…" Dragon Emperor said. "Our greatest warrior will be dispatched to prevent the beast from bringing disasters in its wake. Our Dragon Warrior seems eager to bring the end of the demon's atrocities once and for all. For that warrior, it's personal…" he said.

"I see…" Toyohime mused. "Very well, we will see the end of the Monkey King's existence…" she said.

~truth~

"Man, you're a monk, right? So, are you getting stuck with that oath of chastity crap?" Yosuke asked Souji who was sitting on Izanagi. "Man, you guys never change at all…"

Souji sighed. "Yosuke, there is a reason for a monk to swear off marriage and intimate relationships. Sexual intercourse is forbidden for monks due to its impure idea, being driven by lust while a monk shouldn't be driven by that kind of thought. We were taught to not let ourselves being lustful…" the monk explained. "Just put a woman on my bed, nothing will happen…" he said.

"Wow, even after stuck inside the stone for fifty years, there's no change at all about you monks. Really, Souji… sometimes, you need to get laid…" Yosuke said while grinning.

"I am not allowed to do that…" Souji shook his head. "At least, we are allowed to adopt children to train them to be monks…"

"And making another batch of celibate dudes…" Yosuke said snarkily. "Well, I hope you won't get into some kind of weird soap-opera dramas out of the temples. You know, the outside world is kinda filled with many things you monks can't truly understand…" the Monkey King said rather sagely.

"Don't worry. I'll live just fine…" Souji said while smiling. "Another topic, you did say that you've many names, right? So, is Yosuke your real name?" he asked.

"I've no real name, dude. I born a monkey, remember? An animal doesn't get its name unless it's named, just like this fella…" Yosuke said before he patted Izanagi's mane. "Man, he's got a cool name. What's his name again?"

"He's Izanagi…" Souji said. "So, why do you prefer Yosuke?" the monk asked.

Somehow, Yosuke's face turned solemn. "Someone granted me that name, someone who is really important to me. I got thousands names and yet, I prefer this one for her sake."

"I see…" Souji mused.

"And now, I got another new name too. You've given me this new addition for my name. Hanamura Yosuke, now that's cool…" Yosuke said, giving a smirk to Souji. "It's been a while since I breathed the air this fresh. I hope we're gonna work together just fine, eh?" he said to Souji.

"I hope it will get into that way, Yosuke…" Souji nodded.

Both Yosuke and Souji were travelling to the direction of their destination, Inaba after leaving Oosaru Town. Judging by the weather, which seemed to be pretty nice, Souji assumed that they would arrive at their destination at daybreak.

"Hey, I'm hungry. Do you have something to eat?" Yosuke asked.

"You've just eaten our last rice cake," Souji sighed. "I can't blame you for that though. You haven't eaten for fifty years, aren't you? I am curious about it, about you living inside the stone. How did it feel, Yosuke?" he asked.

"Hmm… It's kinda hard to move, I think…" Yosuke shrugged. "Since I'm a demon, I can breathe inside the rock just fine. I can generate my own air inside the rock…" he explained before he paused. "But, I think we can have this explanation later because I smell trouble in front of us…" he said, pointing his finger forward.

Souji looked what was in front of them and saw a person blocking their way. It was a girl who had a long naginata in her hand. She wore a silver breastplate and greaves. She also had a pair of dragon-shaped pauldrons on her shoulders. She looked very stern and serious.

"I gotta say… that chick smells peculiar…" Yosuke said. Souji jumped down from Izanagi, observing the person that was blocking their way. "…and dangerous…"

Then the girl spoke. "Monkey King, the demon of destruction, the herald of bad omens, it seems you have escaped your jail…" she said, pointing her naginata to Yosuke. "Your impure, demonic presence makes the holy guardians of the sky, the dragons agitated. Your presence is intolerable and I shall vanquish you today, once and for all!"

"Whoa there, what's up with that?" Yosuke said. "Yeah, I know I'm a demon, but what's so personal about it? All I did just wooing some pretty girls and stealing foods from those rich bastards. What else I can do wrong?" he said.

"You're the one who destroyed almost a half of a town…" Souji explained not-so-helpfully.

"Oh yeah, that…" Yosuke nodded. "Anyway, who are you, lady?"

The girl studied their faces before she lowered her weapon. "Then, I shall introduce myself. I am the warrior of light, the messenger of truth, the Dragon Warrior. My name is Satonaka Chie, the last Dragon Warrior! And you…" she lifted the weapon and pointed it at Yosuke. "You're going down, demon!"

"You're a Dragon Warrior?" Souji frowned. He sighed before he stepped forward. "Satonaka-san, we are in the middle of our sacred journey, our pilgrimage. I am sure that I will have to face many hardships in my way to my goal, and now, you're blocking our path to reach our destination. Like you, I am also a messenger of truth. We are on the same side. Please spare us so we won't have any kind of unnecessary conflict…" he said, trying to negotiate with the warrior girl.

Chie looked into Souji's silver eyes. "I see. You're a monk, a real one to be exact. I can feel your soothing aura from the vibe you emanate. And yet, you associate yourself with a demon, and you dare to call yourself a monk? Association with such evil thing sounds like heresy to me…" she said, glaring at Yosuke.

"Man, sucks to be demon…" Yosuke whimpered.

"I understand your concern, Satonaka-san but now, he is no longer a Monkey King. He is my underling, my discipline and a devout follower of the truth, just like me and you. I even granted him a name. The demon you're searching for is not here, Satonaka Chie. Please give us the way and it will benefit both of us…" Souji said. He placed his hand on the hilt of his katana, preparing for any bad situations.

"If I were you, I'll hand him over so I can proceed for my journey. Why bother keeping a wicked bastard like him? His presence won't benefit you, monk…" Chie said in serious tone. "I'll give you three choices. You may kill him by yourself or you hand him to me or…" her brown eyes glinted. Both Souji and Yosuke could feel her murderous aura, driven by passion to end Yosuke's life. "You'll have to fight me…"

"I won't prefer any of them, Satonaka-san. As a monk, I have to respect any kind of living things, either humans or demons. Like you, Yosuke is also one of breathing form of life and I won't allow him to be murdered just because he's a demon…" he said.

"Souji…" Yosuke looked at his master.

"Then, you leave me with no choice, monk. Brace yourself!" Chie suddenly leaped towards both of them, spinning her naginata wildly. Yosuke leaped behind, evading the wild strikes of the naginata as Souji crouched, avoiding the blades from injuring him. Souji grunted before he pulled out his katana.

"Souji, I think we're gonna do something about this chick!" Yosuke said, gracefully evading all assaults that were intended on him.

"Subdue her but please don't hurt her very much!" Souji replied, parrying an assault from Chie.

"Oh yeah, baby! Let's dance!" Yosuke exclaimed before he summoned a powerful gust of wind. While the wind was powerful enough to blow a cow away, Chie seemed to be not really affected by the wind. "Oh, she's a tough one, Souji. I think it's gonna be hard to not hurt her!"

"Well, step aside, Yosuke! Let me fight her!" Souji ordered. "Go now! Go before I read the mantra!"

"Oh, okay…" Yosuke quickly jumped away from the battle. Chie turned to pursue him but Souji blocked her path.

"With the ability to tame a demon, you better be a warlock rather than a monk…" Chie commented, looking at Souji with her glare.

"With that kind of murderous passion, you better be a mercenary rather than a Dragon Warrior…" Souji retorted. "I hate hurting people, Satonaka-san. If I do hurt people, I may do it feel too painful." he said. Chie swung down her naginata onto Souji and Souji parried the attack. Chie gave him a barrage of assaults while Souji defensively blocked all of them.

"Man, they're sure having too much fun…" Yosuke sighed as he observed the battle from a safe distance.

Tang!

With both their weapons collided, Souji stared into Chie's hazel eyes. "Satonaka-san, I don't think it's wise to fight any further. I don't want for any of us to get hurt. Please, stop fighting," he continued to negotiate but Chie just snorted.

"My goal here is to kill the Monkey King. If you hand him over to me, it will be easier for both of us…" Chie said, pulling her weapon back and stepped several steps aback. "Monk, I don't like having my job interrupted and my policy in my job is to eliminate any kind of interruptions that occur. You are the interruption and I shall eliminate you…" she said.

"And I shall stop you…" Souji replied before he assumed his battle stance. His silver eyes glinted before his body released some kind of electricity spark, much to Chie's surprise. Yosuke who was observing the battle was baffled as well. "I hate using this technique since I may end up killing people with it…" he said with a sigh.

"T-The power…" Chie was visibly shaken by the power Souji released. "What is this chaotic surge of power? D-Don't tell me y-you're-…"

"I'm not one, Satonaka-san. It just happened that I learned this technique in hard way…" Souji said. "Very well, I hope you survive this, Satonaka-san. Let the truth lights our ways…" he said before he mysteriously vanished, much to Chie's confusion. Then he reappeared behind Chie.

"You won't be able to defeat me, monk!" Chie yelled, swinging her naginata behind. But the weapon just passed through Souji's body. Chie realized that she wasn't attacking a real one. "I-Is this an illusion?"

"I hate deception but sometimes, I have to take a little break…" Souji reappeared in front of Chie before he swung his katana, cutting into Chie's breastplate. The chest guard was cut and damaged and there was a shallow cut on Chie's chest. With Chie agitated by the attack, Souji delivered a kick on her stomach, throwing her behind.

"Ugh!" she grunted as she landed on her back. Her naginata was thrown away.

"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about!" Yosuke cheered.

"Satonaka-san, thank goodness you're still alive…" Souji said, let out a sigh of relief. "The cut isn't too deep, I'm sure I can heal it in no time. I think my kick doesn't hurt you too much, there's no problem about it. Can you stand?" Souji helpfully assisted Chie to sit up. "Please don't move. I will start healing you…"

"Monk, why are you doing this?" Chie asked, confused.

"Yo, dragon chick, I think Souji's over here just being too respectful to you. Be thankful, okay?" Yosuke said, approaching both of them.

"Please stop assuming that I will leave you alone, Monkey King. I will kill you after this…" Chie said threateningly.

"Satonaka-san, this Yosuke doesn't pose any danger to you. Look on his head. He's wearing Diadem of Submission. He won't get into trouble as long as he's around me…" Souji helpfully explained.

"Don't worry too much, dragon chick. Just stop thinking about killing me, okay?" Yosuke said.

"…" Chie was silent for a while before she looked into Souji's face. "Monk, what's your name?"

"Seta Souji…" Souji said.

"Very well, Seta-kun. I am truly indebted by your kindness. I have never encountered someone like you before. As a token of appreciation, I shall leave both of you for your journey. But remember, I will put my eyes on you, especially you, demon…" Chie pointed her finger to Yosuke. "If you make anything suspicious, I shall strike you…"

"Works for me…" Yosuke shrugged. "Though it's a pain in the ass to be monitored, it's not like I never got used to it…"

"Thank you, brave warrior…" Souji said thankfully to Chie. The warrior maiden just nodded curtly before she turned back.

Yosuke gazed upwards, looking at the sky. "Hmm… is it just me, or this smell seems a bit too familiar?" he mused before his eyes turned yellow. "Oh my pants, they're here!" he exclaimed.

"What's here?" Souji asked. Then he realized that Chie had stopped walking. She had prepared herself with her weapon. Instinctively, Souji pulled out his katana.

"The dragons grow restless…" Chie muttered as she gazed to the sky. "The spirit of the sky, it's stirring. It leads the dragons into confusion. The pungent scent of demon just makes it worse…" she said, glaring at Yosuke.

"Yeah right, sorry for being a stinky demon…" Yosuke said sarcastically.

"The holy spirit of dragons draws near…" Souji said. "We shall do something!"

"Here they come!" Chie shouted before an explosion occurred. Souji defended himself from the debris of the explosion as Yosuke conjured a gust of wind as barrier. Despite being too close to the explosion, Chie seemed unfazed by it. She just took several steps aback, bracing herself for an inevitable battle. Then a roaring sound was heard.

"In the name of truth, I shall battle those who have strayed from their true ways," Chie said, preparing herself for a strike. As the debris and dust subsided, two gigantic, reptilian beasts emerged from the cloud. They were dragons, holy beasts of the air, and guardians of the sky. One of them bore the color of the sky as the other one had crimson skin. Both of them roared before they looked at the Dragon Warrior. "Come, dragons, look at me and battle me!"

One of the dragons breathed out an energy beam and Chie hastily jumped back. The blades of her naginata glowed before she rushed towards both dragons, intending to take them down. With a battle cry, she dashed towards both reptilians before she jumped high, lifting her naginata above her head. With a mighty strength, she swung down the weapon.

Clang!

Chie's eyes widened. She felt like hitting a rock as the blade of her naginata hit the dragon's hide. Then she remembered that all dragons were born with thick hides. She cursed herself for forgetting such fact despite having herself growing with those beasts. Hastily, she spun her body before she shouted, "Glacier Cleave!"

Tang!

Again, the dragon was not affected by the assault. She was left vulnerable in the air so the dragon took its chance to strike her down. The dragon brought its paw up to Chie, striking her flat out in the air. Chie was thrown down from the air, crashing into land.

"Satonaka-san, are you alright?" Souji rushed to the place where Chie crashed while Yosuke teleported to Souji's side.

"I-I'm alright… j-just a few scratches, ngh!" Chie said before she winced in pain. "D-Damn it, I-I can't lose just like that!"

"Souji, this dragon chick got some broken ribs and bones inside her…" Yosuke said after observing Chie from a distance. "Normal people will be normally knocked out in this state…" he added.

"You can see it?" Souji asked.

"You know, being a demon makes me able to see…" Yosuke said, pointing his finger to one of his eyes. "…something unseen…"

"I see…" Souji mused before he pulled out his sword. "Yosuke, can you heal her?" he asked.

"Heal her, huh?" Yosuke frowned. "Then, what'll you do?" he asked.

"I have to carry out my job as a messenger of truth, even by inflicting pain on other creatures. I shall take those beasts down…" Souji said, looking at those rampaging dragons. "Please protect her as well. She is vulnerable for a moment…" he said before he walked calmly towards those dragons.

The dragons saw Souji coming before they roared fiercely. Souji seemed unfazed by their intimidation as he calmly stepped towards them. As he took another step, electricity sparked on his body before his silver eyes glinted. Those two dragons backed off, seemingly dazed by the sparks of electricity on the monk's body.

"Noble creatures, if you can heed my call, please go away. I never wish to hurt other living things like two of you…" Souji said, looking straight into their eyes. The dragons replied with two collective roars that seemed to shake the ground.

"I see, so this is your call…" Souji mused before he assumed a battle stance. "Then you leave me with no choice. I shall teach you two the world of hurt. Let the light of my sword shines our paths of truth. Let's begin, dragons!" he shouted before the flickers of electricity on his body turned into a massive collection of wind and lightning. "Prepare yourselves!"

To Be Continued

Finally, the third chapter is completed. Chie is introduced in this chapter so I wish you like this one. I want to make her parallel with the character Na Zha in the Journey to the West. I guess I will be busy after this with classes. I hope you may review this chapter. And last but not least, Happy New Year.

Albireo Imma


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